Kenyan singer Otile Brown is nursing a broken heart after news emerged that his Ethiopian ex-girlfriend, Nabayet, got married over the weekend in a traditional wedding ceremony.
Taking to his Instagram Stories, the Alivyonipenda hitmaker expressed his disappointment and confusion, especially since he had just mentioned her in a song set to be released.
“How does she go and get married after I mention her in my new song, which drops tomorrow? Now I feel dumb,” Otile wrote.
Otile, who has never hidden his love for Nabayet, had opened up earlier in 2024 about his efforts to win her back. He revealed that he had travelled to Ethiopia multiple times with the hope of reconciling and eventually marrying her.
“Nilimpenda sana mu Ethiopian, nilitaka sana kumuoa. Ile kisa nilimuumiza sana kipindi cha nyuma alinikataa mara kadhaa. Zile trip za Ethiopia zote zilikua za kumbembeleza akubali nimuoe, ila alikataa. Lakini hata mimi pia sikumpambania sana mana nilihisi amebadilika, sio yule Mu Ethiopia niliye mjua. Zile heartbreak na long distance pengine zilimkatisha tamaa,” Otile confessed.
Loosely translated to:
“I loved my Ethiopian girl; I wanted to marry her. The thing is, I had hurt her a lot in the past, and she rejected me several times. All those trips to Ethiopia were to try and win her back so she could agree to marry me, but she refused. But even I didn’t fight for her that much, because I felt she had changed—she was no longer the same Ethiopian woman I once knew. Maybe those heartbreaks and the long distance discouraged her.”
Letting go
The singer said letting her go was one of the hardest decisions he had to make. He remained single for a long time, admitting that he feared he would never meet someone who understood him like Nabayet did.
“I had to take the L and let go. That decision tormented me a lot. I stayed single for a long time because I felt like no one understood me like she did, and I was afraid that I might never find someone like her for the rest of my life.
“But now I’m grateful I found love. To my concerned big bros, 4 sisters, moms, and pops in my DMs — always love and respect to her,” he shared.
In response to the heartbreak, Otile released a song titled Dear Ex, part of his 2024 album Grace, which he described as a deeply personal and vulnerable piece.
“May that Dear Ex song bless and show you all youngins the way. It took a lot of courage and selflessness to be that vulnerable and tell the story as it was,” he said.
Otile and Nabayet dated for four years, and their relationship remained a fan favourite. Speaking in a past interview, Otile had nothing but praise for her, describing her as grounded, hardworking, and uninterested in fame.
“Nabbi is a beautiful woman, and what I like about her is that she wants nothing from me. Hataki Kiki, hataki Otile Brown, anataka Jack ama Juma. Ni mwanamke ambaye anashughuli zake, kazi zake ambazo anafanya kubwa tu; she is responsible,” he said.
Their breakup happened after Otile’s previous relationship with socialite Vera Sidika. His romance with Vera had been widely publicised and controversial, with fans accusing the pair of clout-chasing.
Rumours of a reunion between Otile and Nabayet surfaced in 2022 when the singer was spotted in Ethiopia. At the time, he confirmed that they had met to talk things through, but both agreed to part ways amicably. Nabayet later confirmed publicly that they had not rekindled their relationship.
